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Belted In: Pull Those Straps Tight One More Time…

I know you are probably saying to yourself that you thought this was a NASCAR blog not a fashion blog and I promise that it is and that I will be able to tie this entry to NASCAR and even work in a little Earth Day love so stick with me. Also please not that this is a completely unsolicited review- I received no compensation for it at all- I just bought this for myself and fell in love with it and thought my female NASCAR fans might be interested.

I have been in the market for a smallish messenger bag to carry all my gear in to races. It needs to be big enough for a dslr camera (and extra batteries and cards), wallet, notepad, pens, digital recorder, various toiletries, and anything else I deem necessary to carry with me depending on the day and the race. Major plus if I can find one that is not only functional but durable and cute. Oh and did I mention that I would much prefer it if it didn’t have that classic messenger bag flap but a zip top?

I have been scouring the Internet and local stores like crazy looking for just such a beast and was pretty confident one did NOT exist. I could find flapped messenger bags locally- but they tended to be nylon and rather ugly and they had that flap I didn’t really want. The Internet and my friend google were filled with messenger bags suggestions- however my options were equally as ugly and flap ridden as my local stores. I also found some that were completely out of my price range, unless I decided to sell a kidney and honestly I am rather fond of my kidneys so I would only part with one under dire circumstances and a messenger bag is not dire enough…these tended to be leather and “name” brand ones. Just when I had nearly given up hope…I found it:

I introduce to you: The Maggie Bag. The style pictured above is the small messenger bag in two tone grey- which is exactly what I bought myself. Is that not adorable? It gets better. It’s made from recycled seat belt webbing! How totally fitting is this back since it’s earth friendly (and look today is even EARTH DAY), automotive related, and totally adorable (hello- 40 percent of NASCAR fans are female).

The bag is lined with a gorgeous purple satin lining (I didn’t know that when I ordered it so it made me love it even more because for those who don’t know- purple is my favorite color). The small messenger bag even has little metal feet so that it doesn’t rub up against the ground if I set it down. I have only had my bag a week and I can already tell that it is uber durable. You can totally tell it’s made out of seat belts if you look at it closely but if you don’t- it just looks like a stylish bag. And did I mention how cute it is? It really is cute.

There are only two problems with my Maggie Bag. The first problem is the bag I ordered is slightly too small for what I intended to use it for (race day)- but that is totally my fault. I am sure that I could exchange it for the larger messenger bag BUT it’s too dang cute so I will just use it for a purse (it’s about the size of my current purse anyway). This bag is totally me so there is no way I was parting with it. I will try to swing the large messenger bag next month.

Second is they are slightly on the expensive side (not sell a kidney expensive mind you) but I think that the little extra price is worth the workmanship and did I mention that it’s made out of recycled seat belt webbing and cute? Maggie Bags are not only made from recycled seat belts but they are made in a WRAP certified factory (wrap stands for Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production- which is dedicated to lawful, humane and ethical manufacturing throughout the world).

Anyway- I thought my female NASCAR fans might be interested. Don’t be dissuaded- the Maggie Bags come in several colors (you would be surprised) and styles and have a lifetime guarantee. I urge you to check out Maggie Bags the next time you are looking for an earth friendly, cute, unique bag.